Shearon Harris:. Shellcrackers

thelivecanary

Eight Pointer
These fish are kicking my butt. We fished last week and this week and I didn't get one in the boat until today and they were shorties. I believe it's pre-spawn for them now but man they're not giving up their secrets. We boated three and a myriad of other fish but the biggest Shellcracker was only about 8". Are their any pro tips out there someone can levy on these critters? I'd really appreciate some help as we move toward the spawn.
 

Fireyakker

Button Buck
I caught one at Harris , last Friday in the rain storm (the dam end of the lake )
10" but I was looking for crappie - it's was in shallow ( probably the crazy weather) I've always heard that they spawn on the full moon in May
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Moon phase, dogwood trees etc has nothing to do when they bed. It is all about water temps. What would happen if it was cloudy and they couldn't see the moon? :eek:

All this traditionally USUALLY coincides with a certain time of year but isn't really the matter of fact.
 

Winnie 70

Ten Pointer
As a kid growing up we all knew that bream were on the bed the first full moon in May every year. In fact, last year on that moon I took a fly rod and black ant and caught one after the other on a bed in local pond. May not hold for every where in the state, but it does around here.
 

Bean

Eight Pointer
I was crappie fishing Saturday and I saw a bunch of shellcrackers they were starting to show up around the shallow mussel beds around the edges 15-18" of water at the lake.
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
Shell crackers love fresh moving water, and love a mussel bed. I've caught some really nice ones drifting a wiggler or earthworm hooked once through the middle on a light line with a small short shank hook and using only enough split shot at least a foot above the hook to get the worm down on the bottom. Wind drifting is very effective if you can keep it slow.
 

darkthirty

Old Mossy Horns
They are terrible and a giant pain in the butt but every lake I’ve seen where zebra mussels have got established, the redear (shellcracker) fishery has boomed!
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
They are terrible and a giant pain in the butt but every lake I’ve seen where zebra mussels have got established, the redear (shellcracker) fishery has boomed!
Blue cats love 'em also. I have caught them when they were feeding on them and when they hit the bottom of the boat they would rattle.
 

Donovan

Spike
These fish are kicking my butt. We fished last week and this week and I didn't get one in the boat until today and they were shorties. I believe it's pre-spawn for them now but man they're not giving up their secrets. We boated three and a myriad of other fish but the biggest Shellcracker was only about 8". Are their any pro tips out there someone can levy on these critters? I'd really appreciate some help as we move toward the spawn.

If you're willing to make the drive around Davidson Co., I can put you on a good spot. Pulled an 11.5 inch, 1 pound 1 oz, and a 10 inch, 14 oz out in a span of about 20 minutes. I always tend to have good luck with redears there (Yeah, I'm willing to give you my spot).
 

thelivecanary

Eight Pointer
If you're willing to make the drive around Davidson Co., I can put you on a good spot. Pulled an 11.5 inch, 1 pound 1 oz, and a 10 inch, 14 oz out in a span of about 20 minutes. I always tend to have good luck with redears there (Yeah, I'm willing to give you my spot).

Thanks but I found them on Harris...found em good.
 
Top